The rooftop where a shooter positioned himself before nearly assassinating former President Donald Trump Saturday at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania was identified as a potential vulnerability in the days before the event, according to a report.
“Someone should have been on the roof or securing the building so no one could get on the roof,” one of the sources, a former senior Secret Service agent who was familiar with the planning, told NBC News.
The rooftop was about 150 yards away from where Trump was speaking. Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told the outlet that the agency had designated the rooftop as being under the jurisdiction of local law enforcement.
“They had meetings in the week prior. The Secret Service ran the show. They were the ones who designated who did what,” Goldinger said. “In the command hierarchy, they were top, they were No. 1.”
Both the former senior Secret Service official and Goldinger said Secret Service is ultimately responsible for securing areas outside the venue.
“Just because it is outside of the perimeter, it doesn’t take it out of play for a vulnerability, and you’ve got to mitigate it in some fashion,” the former official said.
“To me, the whole thing is under the jurisdiction of the Secret Service. And they will delineate from there,” Goldinger said.
He added, “In other words, you guys have the outer perimeter, but you would want to say, ‘We need an officer on that roof.’ Not ‘that’s your responsibility; do what you see fit.’”
The Secret Service provides security for former presidents and for presidential nominees, but works with local law enforcement during special events such as the rally.
Guglielmi said the Secret Service had two of its counterassault agents at the event and filled out the rest of the platoon with at least six officers from Butler County tactical units, and also deployed two counter-sniper teams, according to NBC News.
Counterassault agents typically deal with potential assaults, whereas counter-sniper teams deal with potential snipers.
Both Republicans and Democrats are demanding answers.
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) asked Homeland Security Secretary Alejando Mayorkas to provide documentation relating to the event’s security plan, the screening of attendees, and resources provided to Trump’s Secret Service detail, NBC News reported.
Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) asked in a letter to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle who approved the security plan, in addition to other questions.
“I call on all those responsible for the planning, approving, and executing of this failed security plan to be held accountable and to testify before Congress immediately,” he wrote to Cheatle.
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